Wall-Mounted Unicorn Light – Easy DIY

Do you love magical, mystical creatures? I sure do. My hubby always tells me I spend way too much time in that fairy tale world inside my head. He’s probably right, and the fairies would agree 😀 Whenever I have a gap, you’ll find me making teeny, tiny creations, hoping to capture a little of that enchantment in the real world. And this easy wall-mounted unicorn light is one of those creations.

 

By no means is it teeny, tiny. The finished unicorn light measures 28 cm x 33 cm (excluding the horn). But it does add a little magic to any room.

 

And we all need more of that in the world.

Right, before I share how to make this wall-mounted unicorn light, be sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, or Instagram. And don’t forget to subscribe so you’ll never miss a post!

What you need

For the unicorn

• Free, unicorn cutting template
• Wood that’s at least 28 cm (10 1/4″) wide and 1 cm (3/8″) thick
• 80 and 100-grit sandpaper
• Wood Glue
• Long pile, shaggy fur, wool, or cheap costume wig (optional)
• Slotted keyhole hanger for mounting
• Two Screws
• Air dry clay
• Paint in a color of your choice

Light

• Pendant light fitting
• Low wattage bulb

Tools

• Jigsaw
• Sander
• Drill
• Wooden spade drill bit (optional depending on how thick your electrical cord is)

How to make a wall-mounted unicorn light

Print out the free cutting template and resize it to twice the size. I used Block Poster to enlarge mine, and you can download the already-resized image here. Alternatively, you can scan the template and print it out to 200% of its original size.

Mark where to cut a hole to fit the light-fitting cable you’ll be using.  Use the pattern as a guide to cut to the unicorn head shape from your wood.  Depending on the thickness of your wood, you may need to cut two. My wood is 10 mm thick, which is a bit skinny for something like this.

Glue the two head shapes together and clamp down firmly.

Clean up any excess glue and wait for it to dry. Sand the unicorn starting with 80-grit sandpaper and moving up to 120-grit.

Drill a hole that’s big enough to fit the pendant light cable through. 

Test fit the cable and adjust, if necessary, before painting the wooden unicorn head.

To hang the unicorn, I used a slotted keyhole hanger. It’s such a clever little invention and makes hanging something like the wall-mounted unicorn light a breeze. The only keyhole hangers I could find in my stash were a little wider than the width of the unicorn head. Easy enough to solve. Just cut the excess away with a hack saw and drill two new holes. 

Place the slotted keyhole hanger on the back of the unicorn head and pencil in the keyhole shape. Use an 8mm wooden drill bit to make two holes. One at the top and the other at the bottom of the penciled keyhole shape. Wobble the drill up and down to clean out the piece between the two holes so you end up with one long hole. 

Screw the slotted keyhole hanger over the long hole.

Making the Unicorn Horn

To make the unicorn horn, I used air-dry clay. You can also make a horn from moldable plastic. If you’re using air-dry clay, you’ll need about a handful. Knead the clay into a ball, so it’s soft and pliable. Roll the clay ball in a long worm shape that tapers towards the top.

Cut the tapered worm shape in half lengthwise.

Roll to smooth.

Starting at the bottom fat end, twist the worm shapes together to form a horn.

Using the unicorn head template, place the horn on the unicorn’s forehead and trim it at an angle.

Smooth the horn with a little water and insert a toothpick in the bottom. If your toothpicks aren’t very strong, you can insert a nail instead.

Leave the air-dry clay horn to dry. I usually put my clay creations between two pieces of wax paper. It does take a little longer to dry but minimizes cracks. Once the horn is completely cured, paint it white. Brush on a layer of mod podge and sprinkle liberally with glitter.

Add a second layer of mod podge to seal after the first layer dries.

Drill a hole in the unicorn’s forehead, and test fit the horn.

Put the horn to one side for a moment so you don’t stab your eye out while working on the next bit – making the ears 😉

Making the ears

To make the ears, you can either cut them out of wood or use craft foam. I wanted my ears to bend, so I took the easy way out and used craft foam. Cut four craft foam ear shapes and glue a thin piece of wire on two of the ears.  

Glue one wired ear to one unwired ear.

Line up points A and B of the ears as shown below and put a small drop of glue on the bottom, and press firmly together.

Repeat for the other ear. Trim the ears to neaten them up. Drill a hole on either side of the unicorn head and insert the wire.

Bend the ears until you’re happy. I found that white craft foam tends to look dirty, and it’s not easy to wipe clean, so I gave my ears a coat of acrylic paint.

Adding a mane

This part is optional, but it does add to the whole unicorn vibe. Place a cheap costume wig on the unicorn’s head and style the hair mane around the horn and ears.

You can glue the wig down, but I just draped the wig over her head to make the wall-mounted unicorn light easier to dust. That way, I can take it off and give it a good shake when needed. Trim the sides of the wig, so it doesn’t come into contact with the bulb.

 

Wiring up the wall-mounted unicorn light

I’m not an electrician, so this part is best done by someone who knows about currents and stuff. Lucky for me, my hubby understands those things. Suffice it to say before wiring this baby up, you need to thread the electrical cord through the hole in the unicorn’s mouth. Attach the light bulb holder to one end.

Add a plug on the other end.

I did find this online video that will help make the wiring up a bit a little easier.

Me, I’m going to stick with what I know.

Magical creatures…..

And mythical beings 😉

What do you think? Would you make this easy unicorn light?

If you like the idea of making a wall-mounted unicorn light, don’t forget to pin it for later.

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Oh, and if you’re looking for some of the things we used, we’ve got you covered. Disclosure: Clicking on the links below means we may receive a commission from Amazon. But don’t worry, it won’t come out of your pocket, and it will help us make more amazing crafts to share with you 😉

For the Unicorn

Lights and Fittings

Or if you prefer to buy rather than DIY

And as always, wishing you a wonderful, crafty week filled with lots of love. Thank you for popping in for a visit.